Recent News

NIR Treatment for the Female Pelvic Floor

Ever heard of or experienced the frightful truth of ‘every time you sneeze you’ll pee your pants. And that’s something you’ll have to learn to live with’?

Colette Courtion, the former CEO of cosmetic device company Jenu Biosciences, did extensive research on the topic as she was expecting her first child, and found that the field of research was hugely underrepresented in the medical field. According to Kaiser Permanente, about one-third of women suffer from one or more pelvic floor disorders. Most women are prescribed Kegel exercises or extremely unnecessary and invasive surgery, with not many other options or alternatives.

Courtion’s thoughts were, “I’ve been working with these technologies that are about rebuilding collagen and elastin in the tissue. Could I do the same for the vaginal tissue and help eliminate these symptoms?”

Joylux, was launched in 2014 which is a company that brings together technologists and gynaecologists to assist in managing women’s body and health problems. From the beginning, Joylux’s employees and team members were female. “I wanted them to be women so that they could really understand from a firsthand experience what the issues were and what we’re solving for,” says Courtion. She now serves as Joylux’s CEO.

The NIR Vaginal Device

vSculpt, was launched in 2017, which was the ‘first home-use vaginal rejuvenation device using light-energy (red and infrared LEDs), gentle heat, and sonic technology to treat the vaginal tissue and pelvic floor muscles in the U.K. and Canada. A year later, it launched the product in the U.S. under the name vFit.’

This method of laser treatment for vaginal tissue does already take place with Doctors at the controls. This Joylux product now provides those stay at home health types to use themselves. For self treatment.

Joylux, together with the Benchmark Group, surveyed 2,300 women and found that 50% of respondents reported bladder leakage issues, and more than 65% experienced vaginal dryness or pain during intercourse. It wasn’t just older women reporting issues, but women in their 20s and 30s, many of whom reported that their birth control–which affects estrogen levels–lowered natural lubrication.

When asked whether these respondents were interested in a home solution, 95% of them answered yes. “That tells me that it’s an underserved market,” says Courtion. “They are looking for something to help them because they’ve been suffering for so long.”

The trade-off is time. Medical procedures last five to 10 minutes, with one or two follow-ups, while an at-home device–at a fraction of the cost–requires 10 minutes of use every other day for six to eight weeks. Joylux conducted a study showing vFit is on par with office procedures, which was published in the peer-reviewed International Urogynecology Journal.

“Women are becoming far much more empowered to embrace their health in all parts of their life,” says Courtion.

LIGHTSITE I

LumiThera Inc is a medical device company currently focused on developing a non-invasive Photobiomodulation therapy for ocular (eye) disorders and disease. Their pilot product LightSite I provided great results after their first clinical trial for the ‘treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) utilizing its LT-300 Light Delivery System’.

The results from the clinical trial was presented at the 2018 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) annual conference by members of the LumiThera investigation team. The team consisted of: Marion Munk, MD, PhD, Department of Ophthalmology/Bern Photographic Reading Center and Managing Director, Bern Photographic Reading Center, University Hospital Bern.

“LumiThera PBM treatment demonstrated reductions in central drusen volume over the course of the one-year study versus the sham treatment with statistical significance at one year, (p = 0.05). Drusen is the hallmark pathology of dry AMD and is an important proinflammatory mediator and marker for disease progression,” says Dr. Munk.

“Results from the LIGHTSITE I study following treatment with a multi-wavelength PBM treatment demonstrated clinical improvements in vision outcome measures providing a strong foundation for initial therapy as well as the need for follow-up maintenance therapy,” stated Samuel Markowitz, M.D., Co-Principal Investigator, Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto. “The PBM therapy was most beneficial in dry AMD patients immediately following the completion of the treatment sessions. Contrast sensitivity or detailed vision was significantly improved throughout the year. Retreatments at a 6 month interval were performed to maintain clinical benefits.”

“We are excited by the completion of the LIGHTSITE I trial and seeing the benefits in both clinical outcomes and drusen pathology,” stated Clark Tedford, Ph.D., LumiThera President and CEO. “The LT-300 Light Delivery System performance was excellent throughout the clinical trial and patients provided positive feedback from their PBM treatment experience over the course of a year. This foundational data will accelerate our learning to develop options to treat complicated degenerative eye disease, where patient options are limited. The results demonstrate that the therapy is both a safe and effective treatment for early stage dry AMD patients. The current trial results will be used to refine the upcoming multi-center clinical trials expected to start initially in Europe.”

“LumiThera’s LIGHTSITE I data is the first prospective, sham controlled, double-masked, pilot clinical dry AMD study with PBM,” says Dr. Robert Devenyi, Co-Principal Investigator, Ophthalmologist-in-Chief and Director of Retinal Services, UHN, University of Toronto. “The results show PBM using the LT-300 device can improve Visual Acuity and Contrast Sensitivity as vision endpoints for dry AMD patients to counteract the degradation in vision that this disabling disease brings.”

The pilot study consisted of 30 people and was partially funded by a grant from a Small Business Innovation Research fund, awarded to LumiThera from the National Institute of Health and the National Eye Institute. The clinical trial tested each person’s vision and examined disease pathology in the eye, following PBM treatments for up to one year.

About LumiThera Inc.

LumiThera is a clinical-stage medical device company focused on treating people affected by ocular disorders and diseases including dry age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in adults over 65. The Company is a leader in the use of Photobiomodulation for treatment of acute and chronic ocular diseases and disorders. The Company is developing the office-based LT-300 Light Delivery System to be used by ophthalmologists and other eye specialists as non-invasive medical treatments.

Important to note: The LT-300 is not yet approved for use by the Food & Drug Administration in the USA. The device has also not yet been granted a CE Mark by a Notified Body for commercial use outside of the USA.

The LT-300 LED ophthalmologic instrument station is designed to provide a multi-wavelength approach to treating ocular disease.

Working research and clinical units are being built to support ongoing research and development activities.

Strength training, not weightlifting

When practiced and controlled properly, strength training provides many benefits to young athletes and up-and-coming sport stars. Strength training is even a good idea for kids who simply want to look and feel better. In fact, according to extensive research, strength training can put children on a ‘lifetime path to better health and fitness’.

When is it the right time for children to start their anaerobic exercise and training?image supplied by Orthodox Union

Weightlifting, bodybuilding or powerlifting must not be confused with Strength Training. These activities are driven by competition, with participants striving to lift heavier weights or build bigger muscles than those of other athletes. This type of exercise is not for the young ones. It can put too much strain and pressure on young muscles, tendons and areas of cartilage that haven’t yet turned to bone, nor developed correctly yet. This is paramount when incorrect technique is used just so a heavier and larger amount of weight can be seen as an achievement.

For children, light resistance and controlled movements are best. There must be a special emphasis on proper technique, controlled movements and guidance. Your child can do many strength training exercises with his or her own body weight instead of machines or equipment.

Encouraging your child to do BBS (Body By Science), might be a great idea with the focus on controlled movement, and a lighter more manageable weight. This will encourage strength building instead of muscle building, and will help to combat possible health implications in the future.

Teenagers can benefit from BBS, lighter weight

Children can benefit from short, high-intensity workout spurts to boost anaerobic capacity, with the key focus on movement control, muscular strength, and other physical attributes.

Adults and teenagers, may need to place a greater emphasis on improving their muscle aerobic capacity as oppose to children. Children’s muscles recover rapidly from high-intensity exercise, and possibly is the reason why children are able to do repeated exercise and activities when most of us adults continue to feel exhausted.

There may also be important health implications for developing children. Metabolic diseases, including diabetes and many forms of cancer, are increasing in prevalence in teens and younger adults but are still rarely seen in children. If the child continues to do strength training, anaerobic exercise as well as the bursts of aerobic exercise (which children do automatically), into their teen years, maybe we’ll see a decrease in these terrible diseases. It might be the case that the loss of muscle aerobic capacity between childhood and early adulthood is a key maturation step that allows metabolic diseases to take hold.

If your child already accompanies you with your BBS workout, let us know how its going. And if you’re about to start, keep us in the loop with the progress!

Ever heard of Jim Kwik? (that’s his real name)

Jim Kwik is a world renowned expert in speed-reading, memory improvement, and optimal brain performance. He has many podcasts, which we highly recommend to add to your list, called Kwik Brain.

Jim Kwik is the CEO and Founder of Kwik Learning. He is one of the leaders in accelerated learning techniques with online students in over 150 countries.

His unique techniques and mental accomplishments have made him a highly sought-out brain trainer for entrepreneurs and organizations, with clients that include Virgin, Nike, GE, Fox Studios, Harvard University, and Singularity University.

I’m not special. I didn’t naturally have these superpowers. They were learned. And if I can learn them, anyone can learn them regardless of age, background or education.

Below we provide a snippet of what Jim Kwik advises in order to overcome stress, get rid of that feeling of being overwhelmed, and help you to create an overall balance of life. He talks, in his podcast about the 6 ‘S’ which can assist you. Give them a try, and have a listen to his life changing Podcast!

Jim Kwik’s 6 ‘S’

Selective – be selective and stop over committing to things. ‘Say no to good so you can say yes to great’.

Shift – a shift of your mindset. Are you overly burned out because you’ve over committed? Shift from your mind to your heart, and practice gratitude.

Systemise/Sharpen – overcome time wasting activities. Create a simple or routine way of doing things that are repetitive and structured. Create habits to save time. Make sure you sharpen your saw at the beginning of a task and not at the end when it is too late. Become good at the simple learning processes, and everyday your life will become simpler.

Self-care – eat right, get rid of negative thought, exercise, surround yourself with good people, and get enough sleep. All these elements can deplete your energy and you’ll then become burned out. Take care of yourself.

Support – you want (and need) to create relationships and connect with positive people. Everyone needs support and to be able to replenish their energy with positive people, instead of those that drain your energy. Research has shown that loneliness and negativity can be one of the causes of stroke and heart disease. Make sure you surround yourself with a balance of all kinds of lovely people.

Artist Pushwagner has passed away

Terje Brofos, better known as Hariton Pushwagner, was a Norwegian Pop Artist. His art is of a colourful and spiritual nature, and traveled extensively during his life in order to gather his own personal style.

Pushwagner at Bærum Kunstforening,June 2014 in Sandvika, Norway.

Mr Christian Barman, of Eyekandi Ltd, has one of his iconic pieces up on the walls of the Eyekandi Headquarters in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Unfortunately Mr Pushwagner was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and died at the Diakonhjemmet Hospital on 24 April 2018, at the age of 77.

Dottir Nordic Design

In particular we have partnered with many Nordic creatives and designers, one being, Dottir Nordic Design.

Today they were featured on the front page of Denmark’s largest housing magazine, Bolig Magasinet! Their exquisite attention to detail was captured in these pictures of a beautifully decorated home.

More About Dottir

“The creative thinking behind all DOTTIR products is nurtured by the contrasts of Nordic living, with its dark cold winters and bright warm summer nights, it’s deep silent lakes and strong ocean streams.
All products express this arabesque of sweet wildness which gives a versatile and creative expression. We are in contrast to the minimalistic Nordic expression and see ourselves as frontrunners of the next Nordic Design movement. In short. Less is a bore.”

Shop at their online store or contact them directly to decorate your home with some Nordic expression.